1. The Scientific Revolution

2. Causes of the Scientific Revolution
The Italian Renaissance
Renewed emphasis on mathematics
Navigational problems of long sea voyages.
Why was this an issue?
MONEY! (See next chapter)
Better scientific instruments were being made for the above reasons.
Everything feeds each other!

3. View of the universe was derived from Ptolemy, Aristotle.
Heavens were perfect.
Relied on observation and conclusion – hence a Geocentric view.
“The world at the center with the heavens, planets etc pushed around crystal spheres by angels.”
Idea of experience, experiment and empiricism
(more later…)
This was supported by the Church! WHY?
The Old Universe

4. Scientific “Revolutionaries”

5. Copernicus (1473-1543) Aims to correct errors in the calendar.
Result was a Sun centered universe - Heliocentric
Aristotle in all other ways.
Earth no different than any other planet
On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres
(1543 the year he died -no coincidence)

6. Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) Most sophisticated observatory of his day
Tons of observations every night. Most earlier observers were not so dedicated.
Observes super nova!
Why is this important?
Discovered comet shooting right through crystal spheres (but no broken crystal?)

7. Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) Student of Brahe
Planetary motion conforms to mathematical formulae
Elliptical orbits
Planets move at different speeds during their orbits
Speed and distance travelled along orbit proportional to distance from the sun
3 Laws of Planetary Motion

8. Galileo Galilei ( )
Early practitioner of the experimental method (rolling balls)
Mathematical formula for acceleration of falling objects
Has to accurately measure time – pendulum
Discoveries using the telescope
Moons, sun spots and craters
“The Starry Messenger”

9. Galileo (contd)
Things were OK until Galileo started talking publically about his observations.
Church said STOP!
Publishes Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems cleared by the church.
But…Galileo ordered to appear before the Inquisition

10. Trial of Galileo Galileo ready to prove Copernican theory.
Issue was no longer Copernicus and whether he was right or not, but the authority of the Church.
Old, fearful and broken Galileo recants (takes back his ideas) and spends the rest of his life (8 years) under house arrest.

11. Francis Bacon (1561-1626) Father of the Scientific Revolution
The Scientific Method
Question in a logical method
Argued against idea that there was no new knowledge
Emphasis on practical, useful knowledge not “Biblical nonsense”

12. Rene Descartes (1596-1650) Father of “analytical geometry”
Emphasized the significance of Doubt. Never blindly believe. (the church?)
Believed in Rationalism / deduction.
Come to conclusions based on logic.
Founder of modern philosophy
“I think therefore I am.”
Senses can be tricked therefore cannot be trusted. How can your senses be tricked???
IF you cannot trust your senses, what is real?
THE MATRIX…

13. Isaac Newton (1642-1727) ‘Responsible’ for Calculus
“If I have seen farther, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants”
‘Responsible’ for Calculus
Blends inductive and deductive methods
Argues for a universe governed by natural laws
Idea that one force affects all objects and varies with mass and distance
Principia; Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy (1687)

14. Newton’s Legacy Nature and Nature’s laws lay hid in night:
Proof that nature was based on order
Not just faith based, but predictable and reasonable
Science and Religion work together
Nature could be understood
Nature and Nature’s laws lay hid in night:
God said let Newton be:
And all was light.

15. Other Notable Scientists of the Day
Leeuwenhook – used microscope to looked at saliva and discovered cells
Versalius – corrected anatomy through autopsy
Harvey – circulation of the blood in one system
Boyle – law on gasses, and elements and compounds
Celsius - thermometer